The Voice Implements New Season 3 Rule

For Season 3, NBC’s The Voice producers have tried to change the format of the show up a little, implementing “the steal,” a premise that not only helps the judges to maintain a strong team, but also has given some of the contestants a second chance to thrive. Now, NBC’s hit singing competition show is changing up the rules once more. Now, only the top contestants will be able to make it to the finale—whether or not that means all the judges will have a representative in the final rounds.

Things are going to get cutthroat in the judges chairs. Not only do Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green not have any season wins under their belt, they’ll be leaving the show after Season 3 wraps up. If the new rule goes badly for the two of them, they may not even have a contestant that makes it to the final rounds of competition this year, which would look pretty bad after all their boasting. TV Line is reporting one or more of the judges may lose out on a potential win earlier than usual. Beginning on November 13, the bottom two contestants each week will get axed—regardless of who their mentor is. Maybe all four judges will have a contestants in the top bracket, but at the very least, they've lost their safety cushion.

Until November 13, it will be business as usual on the show. Next week, each of the judges will narrow their teams down from ten to five—which should prove to be emotional. The week following, “The Playoffs” will begin and the list of contestants will be shaved down even more, until only 12 contestants remain. You can check out more Season 3 dates and upcoming episode information over at TV Line.